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@uitntat latrut @Him WlLLlAM A. SHEPARD, 0F NEW YORK, iN. Y., ASIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JOHN M. MOOREHEAD, 0F THE SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 61,108,` datati' January 8, 1867.

IMPROVED ERICE MACHINE.

TO ALL WHOM 1T MAY OONCERN:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. SHEPARD, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a. new and improved Machine for Moulding and Pressing Bricks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enablelthose skilled in the-art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, vforming part of this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved machine, taken through the line x x, tig. 2.

Figure 2 is a top view of the same.

Figure 3 is a vertical section ,of the same, taken through line y y, fig. 2.

Figure 4 .is a detail sectional view of the same, taken through the line .e z, iig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My invention has for its object to furnish an improved machine, by means of which bricks may be moulded, pressed, and removed from the machine automatically, and which will form the bricks accurately and rapidly. And it consists, first, in the horizontal revolving wheel, provided with moulds and plunger-s for moulding, pressing, anddelivering the bricks; in the combination of the parts, by means of which the clay is prepared and fed into the mould; by which the horizontal wheel is revolved intermittently, so as to pause for the moulds to be filled and for the bricks to be pressed and removed from the moulds, and by which the completed bricks are removed from the face of the wheel; in operating the plungers by toggle bars, and in the combination of parts, by means of which the said toggle bars are operated; the whole being constructed and arranged as hereinafter more fully described.

A is the driving-shaft, which revolves in bearings in the frame of the machine, and the forward end of which passes into the upper part of the mixing cylinder B. The end of the shaft A has a bevel gear-wheel, C, formed upon its end, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the bevel gear-'wheel D, attached to the shaft of the: mixing screw E. The lower end of the shaft of the screw E revolves in a socket in the lower part ofthe mixing cylinder B, and its upper end revolves in bearings in the top or cover of the said cylinder B. The screw is made cone-shaped, and of such a size as to nearly ll the cavity of the cylinder B, so as to carry the clay down 'and force it into the moulds. The discharging orifice of the cylinder B is made of the same shape and size as `the moulds in which the bricks are formed and pressed.' The clay is fed into the cylinder B from the hopper F,

passing between the rollers G and H. The roller G revolves in bearings in the sides of the hopper F, in such a position that the edge of the cylinder B may act as a scraper to remove adhering clay. To the end of the roller G is attached a gear-wheel, I, which meshes into and receives motion from the gear-wheel d', attached tothe end of the roller H. The teeth of the gear-wheel J mesh into the teeth of the gear-wheel K, attached to the drivingshaft A, as shown in figs. 2 and 3. To the shaft of the screw E, just above the body of said screw, is attached a gear-wheel, L, the teeth of which mesh into the teeth of the gearfwheel M, attached to the upper part of the vertical shaft N, the upper part of which revolves in bearings attached' to the side of the cylinder B, and. the I lower end revolves in a socket formed in or attached to the foundation of the machine. To the lower part of the shaft N is attached a gear-wheel, O, the teeth of which mesh into the gear-wheel P, which revolves about the vertical journal 2, the base of which is secured to the foundation of the machine. R is a pit-man, one end of which is pivoted to the gear-wheel P, by means of a crank-pin, as shown in igs. 1, 2, and 4. The other end of the Pitman R is pivoted to the outer end of the arm S, which is attached to or formed upon the hub T, revolving loosely upon a journal formed upon the shaft U. V is the horizontal revolving wheel, in which the bricks are formed and pressed. The wheel V is securely attached to or formed solid with the hub G', which revolves loosely upon a journal formed upon the shaft U. c are the moulds, which are vertical mortices or slots of the length and breadth desired to be given to the brick's. W are plungers, which t into-the moulds, o', and are kept from dropping down too far by a stop pin attached to thc ond or side of the mould, and working in a groove formed in Ithe end or side of the plungers W, as shown in dotted lines in iig. 1. The forward edges of the plungers W are bevcllelof, so that they may pass readily upon the upper ends of the sliding bar or bleek X. The bar or block X moves up and down between the vertical guide bars Y, and it is kept in place by a tongue formed upon the inner sides of the said guidebars, and working in grooves formed in the edges of the bars or blocks, as shown in iig. 4. Z are togglebars, the upper ends-of which are pivoted to ears, e', formed upon the forward side of the upper end of. the bar X, ahd their lower ends to ears formed upon or attached to the lower ends of the guide bars Y, or to the foundation of vthe machine. The middle parts or joint of the bars Z is pivoted to the end of the pitman A', which is connected to and operated by the arm B', attached to or formed upon the hub T, as shown in figs. 3 and 4. C' is a sliding bar; D' are guide bars; E' are toggle bars, connected to and 'operated by the pitman A', in the manner already described, with reference. to the parts X Y Z, except that the toggle bars E' are made longer than the bars Z, so as to liftA the pressed-brick out of the mould. F' .is a large iron beam, the inner end of which is secured to the shaft U and cylinder B, and its outer ond to the frame of the machine, in such a position that it may be directly over the sliding blar or block X, for the brick to be forced up against in being pressed. Upon the lower part of the hub G' is formed a ratchet-wheel, H', the teeth of which are the same in number, and are at the same relativo distance apart, as the moulds v'. The hub G' and wheel V are revolved by a pawl, I', which is pivoted to the arm S, and held up aga-inst the teeth of the ratchet-wheel H by the spring J', as shown in fig. 4. K' is an arm,'the lower end of which forms the pivoting pin by which the arm S and pitman R are pivoted to each other, andthe other end of which passes up through and works in an angular slot formed in the plate L', as shown in fig. 2. The plate L is pivoted to an ear formed upon the side of the cylinder B, and has a notch formed in its edge, which will it upon the pressed brick and move them from the wheel V to an endless-apron, or some other receptacle prepared for them. In using the machine,the clay is placed in the hopper E, from -which it passes betweenthe rollers G and H to the cylinder B, and is forced down into the moulds v' by the screw E. Thepwheel V is moved intermittently by the pawl l', pausing as each mould comes under the cylinder B. The beam F'y and the sliding blocks X and C' are so arranged as to be in proper position to press a brick and remzoveqi; fromv the wheel V, at the same time that the wheel pauses. And as the pawl I moves back to take hold ofanother tooth kof the ratchet-wheel H', the toggle bars Z and sliding bar X are operated to force the plunger IV, and press the brick between the upper end of said plunger and the lower side of the beam F'; and at the same time the toggle bars E' and sliding bar C" are'operated to force up the plunger W, andlift the-pressed brick from the-mould, so that it can be removed by the plate L'. If desired, the wheel V may be constructed with the moulds e', arranged in pairs, so that two bricks may be moulded, pressed, and delivered at the same time. i A y l A I 'claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of the hopper F, rollers G and H, and screw E, with each other, and with the revolving horizontal Wheel V, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the pitman R, arm S, hub T, and paw] I' with eachother and with the rateh'ctwheel H, of the wheel V, for Vthe purpose of revolving 'the' said wheel intermittently, substantially asiherein shown and described.

3.. Operating the plun gers, for the double purpose of pressing the brick and delivering them from the moulds by toggle bars, when constructed as'herein shown fandvdescrbed. y v

4. The combination of one or more sets of toggle bars Z and sliding blocks X wit-h each other, and with the plungers W and wheel V, substantially as herein shown and described. f

5. The combination 'of the pitman A and arm B' w' h the toggle bars Z and E', and with the hub -T, sdbstantially as herein shown and described.

6. The combination ofthe plate L' and arm K' with the pitman R, arm S, and wheel V, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

' 7. I The sliding bar D', in combination with the toggle'bar, actingv upon the follower.

The above specification of my invent-ion signed by me this 27th day of November, 1866.

. WILLIAM A. SHEPARD. Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAMARA, J. J. CooMBS. 

